I will try these steps and see what happens. Thanks George

 

i just started to clay my car. it is black in color. well after following the instuctions it looks like it is leaving the paint blotchy when i am done. is this normal or am i doing something wrong? i dont want to wreck my finish. i am just want to take care of my g35
thanks for any input. i will try to post a pic soon as i fiqure how to do so.

 

Just ordered your 2 march specials. Thanks!

 

If it's blotchy, it sounds like you aren't using enough clay lube and you may be leaving behind some of the clay bar. When used properly, a fine grade clay bar should not leave behind anything but a smooth surface. What are you using as your clay bar lubricant and how much were you using? If you can describe your process I'll do my best to help narrow things down for you.

Thanks for the support! Both packages include great items at great prices. I'm sure you'll love the results. Keep us posted on how things turn out for you.

Regards,

George

 

i purchased a zaino kit. the clay is red. which i found out is abrasive. it said to use 2 caps of their soap with water fo lube. i am spraying the lube on a 2 x 2 area and rubiing in the air flow direction
i can tell when there is not enough because it wont glide easy. i it will buff out but it neeeds an orange pad. i plan on buffing the car. but i feel that i am not helping my finish by doing this clay process.it looks like the clear is getting marred. i was thinkin of trying a different bar.

thanks for the reply
chris

 

the darker one is a better pic . this is what is hapening with the claying.any help is much appreciated.

 

Chris, thanks for posting up the pics, it gives me a much better idea on what is happening. It sounds like you nailed the problem on the head, there's not enough clay lube, and when you are saying it's not gliding easily, you're leaving behind remains of the clay bar it seems. I'd consider adding more shampoo and when claying, soak the panel.

I have two golden rules when claying:
1. If you drop the clay bar throw it out immediately.
2. Use plenty of clay lubricant.

You should never feel like the clay isn't easy to glide, and if you force it past that not easy to glide, you'll leave behind the marks you are showing in the pictures.

I'd advise next time around using a fine grade clay bar and perhaps some dedicated clay lube or quick detailer. It could be that the Zaino shampoo didn't provide you with enough lubricity with just 2 caps. What did you make the mixture in? a spray bottle? if so, what size?

We'll get your claying straightened out then help restore your finish to new in no time. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

George @ Detailed Image

 

First off great Info so far but i'm still alittle comfused.

I just bought my new car while i did buy it new the car is a left over 07 so it has been sitting on the lot for awhile. I want to buy the stuff to give it a good clean and starting finish that will be easy to maintain.

I just placed an order from you for a bunch of stuff but feel like I'm missing some things. can you look over what I bought an recomend anything I'm missing. Assume I have nothing.

Clay Magic: Fine Grade Clay Bar - 200 g 1
DI Accessories: Adjustable Trigger 1
DI Accessories: Sheepskin Wash Mitt 1
DI Microfiber: All Purpose Towel - 16" x 16" 3
DI Packages: March Wash Special 1
Poorboy's World: Bug Squash - 32 oz 1
Poorboy's World: Natty's Red Paste Wax - 8 oz 1
Poorboy's World: Spray & Wipe (S&W) - 16 oz 1

Thanks

 

Scarri, thanks for the post and the order. For your paint, the two steps that I'd recommend looking into would be a polish (eventually) and a sealant.

Using a polish can help remove imperfections, like swirls, light scratches, water spots, oxidation and more. Having as little imperfections on your paint is really what makes the paint POP and gives you maximum results. A finishing polish that I'd highly recommend is Menzerna PO106FF polish. This is one of the premier polishes on the market and the results have never let me down. Another good option would be Menzerna Final Polish II.

Not using a sealant is fine as long as you reapply your wax every 4 - 6 weeks with Natty's Red. A sealant will give you longer durability, usually between 3 - 6 months, which many enthusiasts will use before applying the wax as durable underlying protection. This way if you do not have time to rewax your car after the protection of the wax dissipates, then you still have some protection on your vehicle. I'd pair up your Natty's Red with Poorboy's EX-P sealant if you do want to give it a shot.

Aside from those two steps, your product selection looks great and I think you'll have a great detail! If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

George @ Detailed Image

 

my question is. what order can you apply these products.I was told you cant put a sealant over a glaze, the sealant needs to bond to the paint.I think my car looked better after the polish and before the sealant.Right now i have the black g35 poished with menzerna ip then fp then isp wipe down then zaino zx5.So can i glaze over that or wax. or is that just a waste of time or money.

 

Certain sealants will have a difficult time bonding to glazes, usually the ones that use more oil based fillers. Other glazes are designed to work with sealants, so it really depends on which combination you are looking at.

Z-5 is a unique product in that it is a sealant with fillers (like a glaze). I wouldn't bother with a glaze when using Z-5. If anything, give your sealant 24 hours (unless you used the ZFX) and top it with a quality carnauba wax if you are looking for that additional depth and gloss. I find that a quality carnauba wax will bead water better, which makes for easier maintenance, and it provides a deeper and wetter look than sealants.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

George @ Detailed Image

 

George, just want to thank you again for all of the help when I pm'd you!

Also I have been using my PC7424, just havent done a full detail yet, when I do I will post pics.

Where can/should I order sandpaper from, also should I get 2000 or 3000 grit?

Thanks.

-Tom

 

I did a first try this weekend with what i had with pretty good results, Although cleaning it so well made me notice some minor swirls.

A few questions though about how I was doing things.

First is with Claying, how do you tell the difference between the normal feeling of dirt being picked up and possible drag from not enough lube. I was probably being paranoid, after reading some stories about using to little, but I used more then half my bottle of S & W. I would pass over the area once or twice and it would seem clean and then the third pass it would "stick" again.

Second with the Natty's Red is this a wipe on wipe off wax or does it need to haze. I let it sit for a bit, did the car in quarters. Then was watching some detailing vids that night and saw that some paste wax's are not meant to haze and I probably just made extra work for myself.


Lastly I have too spots on my hood I couldn't get to come off with washing or the clay. How can I figure out what these are and how to fix them, short of taking pics and asking here since my camera just died. They are like minor discolorations not rough to the touch.

Thanks

 

Hello George,

Sorry if this has been asked before...

I have spiderweb marks all over my Black 08 G35. It has a clear coat on it. I was wondering what products/services are out there to remove these spiderweb marks that are not abrasive. I know some polishing compounds remove a layer of clear coat, which I do not want to happen. One detailer in the area told me they may have to wetsand the car in order not to burn a layer of paint, which would run around $500-750. That is a bit price right now for me so maybe there are cheaper methods (like polishing) that won't burn a layer of paint off. How much polishing/compounding will it take to completly remove the clear coat? I don't mind using abrasives to remove a layer of the clear coat, but I just don't want the clear coat to come of. Also, what do you recommend to remove water spots from auto windows? Thanks again for your time George- much appreciated!!

lmulion03

 

Imulion03, in short, there are no non-abrasive methods to remove spiderwebs or swirls from your paint. You can temporarily hide them with a glaze, but I find most glazes only hide VERY minor surface imperfections.

I certainly wouldn't goto the detailer who recommended wetsanding your paint. That is the absolute worst case scenario and removes more clear coat than any other option. You want to start by using a light abrasive polish and work up to more aggressive options as needed.

You can polish your paint twice a year with a medium cutting polish and still have clear coat remaining 30+ years later when done correctly. You certainly shouldn't worry about how much clear coat is left behind at this point.

Where are you located? I can see if I have any recommended detailers in your area.

For removing water spots, first try using some distilled white vinegar and water to see if it's just mineral deposits remaining. If that doesn't do the trick, I like using Glass Science Glass Scrub. It's a cream based glass polish that works well on water spots for glass.

Hope this helps.

George @ Detailed Image